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Ariane 504 's launch

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Title Ariane 504 's launch

Released 10/12/1999 10:51 am

Copyright
ESA/CNES/Arianespace-Service Optique CSG

Description

The world's most powerful observatory for X-ray astronomy, the European Space Agency's XMM satellite, set off into space from Kourou, French Guiana, at 15:32 Paris time on 10 December. The mighty Ariane 5 launcher, making its very first commercial launch, hurled the 3.9-tonne spacecraft into a far-ranging orbit.

Ariane-5 is an ESA programme for which ESA delegated management responsibility to CNES.

Launch operations are managed by Arianespace at the ELA-3 launch site at the Guiana Space Centre, Europe's space port (French Guiana).